Getting Started:

1. Go to Google Page Creator and sign in using your group gmail account.
2. After reading the welcome message, scroll down to the bottom and check the Conditions box.
3. Click the I’m ready to create my pages button

Change the Look of Your Webpage:

1. Click on the Change Look link in the top right corner.
2. Choose the look you think would best represent your project.

*Remember, simple is better and more professional.

1. Click on the look of your choice and your page should automatically change.

Change the Layout of Your Webpage:

1. Click on the Change Layout link in the top right corner.
2. Choose the layout of your choice.

*If you change one page, all of the other pages will change as well.

Adding New Pages:

1. Click Back to Site Manager in the top left corner.
2. Click Create a new page…
3. Give your page a title and click Create and Edit.

*Remember to link all pages!

Inserting a Link to a Page within Your Site:

1. Click in the cell where you would like to add a link.
2. Click on the Link button in the toolbar.
3. Verify that the Your Pages radio button is selected.
4. Click on the page you would like to link to.
5. You may change the text that displays by entering the new text in the Text to display box.
6. Click OK.

Inserting a Link to an Outside Source:

1. Click in the cell where you would like to add a link.
2. Click the Link button in the toolbar.
3. Select the Web Address radio button.
4. Type in (or copy and paste) the URL of the website.
5. If you choose, change type in the text that will appear on your webpage in the Text to Display box.
6. Click OK.

Adding a Gadget (widget):
What is a widget?
"A web widget is a portable chunk of code that can be installed and executed within any separate HTML-based web page by an end user without requiring additional compilation...Applications can be integrated within a third party website by the placement of a small snippet of code. The code brings in ‘live’ content – advertisements, links, images – from a third party site without the web site owner having to update."*

1. Click in the cell where you would like to add a gadget.
2. Click add gadget in the bottom right corner.
3. Type in a keyword in the search engine to find a gadget.
4. Click on the gadget of your choice and enter the width and height that best fits your page.
5. Click OK.

*You can always edit the width or height by clicking edit in the gadget preview window.

Embedding a Video:

1. Click on the cell where you would like to add the video.
2. Click Edit html in the bottom right corner.
3. Copy the embed code from where the video is located (Ex: Youtube, Teachertube, etc.)
4. Paste the embed code where you would like it to appear in the edit html window.
5. Click Update.
6. To preview the video on your webpage, click Preview at the top.

Adding Audio (Interviews):

1. Have a .mp3 file ready (ask Ms. Olson if you need help with this)
2. Go to the Site Manager and upload the file.
3. Go to the page you wish to add the file and click on the cell where you would like to place it.
4. Click the Link button and select the File radio button.
5. Choose the .mp3 file and click OK.

Publishing Your Site:

1. Click the Publish button.

*If needed, you can unpublish your site by going back to the Site Manager, checking the pages your would like to unpublish, and then clicking Unpublish in the More Actions pull down menu.

Things to Remember:

• The URL to your site should be http://(username).googlepages.com
• Only one person can edit a page at a time.
• SAVE periodically. Google Page Creator automatically saves for you; however, it never hurts to be safe.

Dos and don'ts for achieving Usability in Design

Do:

• Use either plain-color backgrounds or extremely subtle background patterns.
• Make sure text is in a printable color (not white).
• Place navigation in a consistent location on each page of your website.
• Use a familiar location for navigation bars.
• Keep the design from scrolling horizontally.

Don't:

• Make your text look like a link-ex. do not make your text underlined and blue
• Use boldface** or ALL CAPS for long pieces of text. These slow down reading.
• Leave too much white space--reduces scannability.
• Make the user scroll to find critical information, especially transaction buttons and navigation links.
• Use horizontal rules to separate chunks of content.
• Alternate too frequently between centered text and left-aligned text. Most text should be left-aligned.

(Source: http://www.usabilityfirst.com/websites/design.txl)

*Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_widget